


Adapt Like Water

by BeckKingOfHell



Series: Changes Happen [2]
Category: Voltron - Fandom, vld - Fandom
Genre: Altean lance, Galra Keith, Gen, Plant Witch Pidge, Rowan Shiro, healer hunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-05-20 20:54:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14901824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeckKingOfHell/pseuds/BeckKingOfHell
Summary: Part two of the series Changes HappenIf you haven't read it, it's over here --> https://archiveofourown.org/works/13980804/chapters/32188797Shiro and Keith learn how to use their new body additions. Shiro goes to a dwarf planet to learn, and Keith learns by trial and error.





	1. Chapter 1

Shiro was beginning to hate his wings- well, what was  _ there _ anyway. The bones covered in fluff were slightly heavy, and kept bumping into walls, doors, and people. Not to mention that one incident where the doors closed on one of them, causing Shiro to make a painful squeak.

He was starting to get irritated with them during training. He just wasn’t use to the extra weight and kept losing his balance. He also didn’t know how to move them out of the way of attacks, and had no idea how to protect them overall. This left them sore and stiff.

After a few weeks of dealing with this, he sought out help from Coran.

Coran explained that Rowans typically were born with the wings already there, and only hybrids got them as they got older. Since the race doesn’t exactly accept hybrids, they put them all on a dwarf planet.

The ginger gave Shiro the coordinates to the dwarf planet, so he could learn from other hybrids. Together they talked to the king of the planet and set arrangements and teachers.

Since Keith was still with them and could pilot Black, Shiro would take a pod. Pidge and Hunk gave him his modified armor (so his growing wings could fit through without fear of damage), and Lance gifted him with a small jar of a transparent oil.

“It’s for your wings.” Lance scratched the back of his head. “I was reading the book on Rowans and hybrids need to put oil on the feathers daily because they don’t produce enough.”

Shiro smiled at the boy. “Thank you, Lance.” He took the jar from Lance’s outstretched hand. “I’ll use it once I settle down.” 

“Group hug!” Hunk shouted and pulled the whole team into a bear hug. 

“We’re going to miss you.” Keith said.

“Yeah, you’re leaving us with Keith to lead!” Lance joked.

Shiro chuckled. “Don’t get in too many fights guys. I’ll be back before you know it.” And with that, he pulled away from the hug and left.

 

When he touched down he was greeted by the King and his daughter, Elden. King Hakan had bright red wings that reminded Shiro of the sunsets back on Earth. He looked human enough, minus the black eyes of a moth. Elden had more earth tone wings, hers more fluffy than her fathers. She on the other hand, looked like the female, human, version of mothman. It kinda creeped him out.

They showed him around the castle, answering any questions he asked. He found out that instead of window panes, they used a see through fabric so they could fly out whenever they wanted to. It also made the castle airy and cool during the day. 

The dwarf planet, Xophorian, had a tropical climate, meaning that winter didn’t exist. Which was lovely for the Rowan hybrids because it made wing care easier.

Once the tour was over Elden showed Shiro his room for his stay. It was roughly twice the size of his room on the ship, furnished with a queen size bed, drawers on each side, a long desk on the right, and shelves of books on the left. There were two open window ways (that’s what the Rowan hybrids called them) by his bed, and another by his desk. There was another door off to the left of the book selves.

Shiro could see the purples and pinks of the sunset. Elden told him that the servants would bring him supper and that they’d have a proper feast the next day.

He gave her his thanks and set to unpack his things. He pulled out the small jar that Lance gave him and opened it. It smelled like flowers and coconuts. He closed it and inspected the door. It opened up to a large bathroom, the shower big enough to fit three people. Or a single Rowan without having to bunch up their wings. The sink was a crystal basin on the floor, with a full body mirror behind it.

Shiro used it to apply the oil Lance made. It was difficult to do with his robotic arm because the oil just slid down his hand.

His wings were beginning to go a dark gray, the feathers finally coming in. Although they were small and fluffy and only covered the area by his shoulder blades. Shiro was thankful for his flexibility, without it he may not have been able to reach the feathers.

He heard a knock and peaked out from the open bathroom door. The servants brought him some chowder like food, with bright purple bread, accompanied by something that resembled rutabagas. If rutabagas were the size of a quarter and tasted like kiwis. The bread was sweet and went well with the saltiness of the teal chowder. For once Shiro enjoyed alien food.

Before he got in bed he noted that the crystals that dotted the ceiling casted a faint pink glow. It was peaceful and with the nice cooling breeze coming from the window ways, he was almost lulled off to sleep.

Almost.

“Damn wings.” He hissed, as he tossed and turn, trying to find a comfortable position where his wings didn’t get in the way. If he laid on his sides his wings would be in an uncomfortable position, if he laid on his back, he would be squishing them. His only option was laying on his stomach, but he could never figure out where to put his arms so they wouldn’t fall asleep.

He groaned. No matter what he did he just couldn’t sleep.

“Perhaps some reading will help.” He told himself as he pushed his body up and out of bed. After looking through a few books he gave up. They were written in a language he didn’t know, and quite frankly he was too tired to translate them.

After checking out the other things that were in his room he went to one of the window ways. The fabric was light and soft, but still managed to seal the opening. He pushed it away, the night air touching his skin.

He quickly grabbed the blanket from his bed and went to sit on the windowsill. 

The sky was lit up by five moons, three of which were super tiny and grouped together. The other two were close in size but far apart. While the grouped ones were just rising, the other two were in the middle of the sky, one in the center, the other following the horizon.

The city below was glowing with pinks, blues, greens, and yellows, the crystals dotting streets and houses. Shiro could daintily see outlines of other Rowans flying this way and that, their wings various colors.

The older man leaned against the side of the sill, blanket wrapped loosely around his back and shoulders. A content sigh came from his lips as he studied the area. To him, it was absolutely beautiful and breathtaking.

He decided that perhaps wings weren’t all bad. 


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re going to stretch out your wings like so.” Elden said, showing Shiro exactly what to do. His wings were covered in a gray fluff, looking similar to cupid wings. When outstretched they were roughly four feet, tip to tip.

He was told many times that even though his wings were fully feathered, they would still grow. Wing expand differed from hybrid to hybrid. Colors identified what class of magic they were able to do, but the real colors wouldn’t set in until the fluff was molted.

“Now stretch them upwards.” Her wings branched upwards, looking like a bird in flight.

Shiro tried to copy, his wings not quite cooperating. He watched closely as Elden demonstrated again, this time seeing the muscles move with it. He did his best to move them and his wings shot up, mirroring Elden’s.

“Close them.” She pressed her brown wings tight against her back. Shiro did the same with ease, his small cupid wings huddled close together.

Elden turned around, “That will be all today. I must attend a meeting with my father to discuss our military strategies.”

Shiro bowed, right arm crossing over his chest. He remained in that position until she left the courtyard.

The leader wasn’t exactly used to being around royalty. He knew that Allura was royalty, but she was treated like a normal person, so he wasn’t sure if she counted at this point. The Rowan Hybrids on the other hand were strict when it came to the King and his daughter. Shiro was still learning the proper customs and how to address them. He opted for silence until he was told to speak. The last thing he wanted was to end up prisoner by more aliens.

The courtyard was filled with bright fuschia daffodil looking flowers, paired up with aqua horehound looking herbs. The faint smell of the fuschia flowers reminded him of vinegar. Thankfully the powerful cinnamon smell from the aqua herbs drowned it out to where he could barely notice it.

Shiro looked up to the amber sky. One sun was midway, while the smaller one  was halfway to setting. He still had half a day left, so he decided it was time to check in with the Castle of Lions. 

On his way back to the entrance of the castle,  he saw kids playing a game of what appeared to be soccer. One of them had small wings like his own and he watched as they moved them around to avoid being hit by the ball.

He sat down on the yellow grass to watch the kids play. The more he studied the winged child, the more he learned. 

For example, to keep them from getting hit, the kid pulled them in. To gain more defense, he stretched them out to startle the other kids. To avoid fall damage the wings wrapped around the kids torso like a fluffy blanket. When the ball got kicked too close to his wings, he pulled them up to protect them. 

It wasn’t long before a little girl waved him over to play with them. He politely declined, only to have more kids wave him over.

He shook his head.  “You guys keep playing without me.”

The winged child kicked the ball over to him. None of the kids made a move to fetch it, tricking Shiro into bringing it over to them.

The Black Paladin only smiled as he picked it up and walked over to them. He could have kicked it over, but it’s been a while since he was surrounded by the wonderlust and kindness that kids had.

The little boy with the wings gladly accepted the ball and gave Shiro a missing tooth grin. “You’re a Paladin of Voltron right?”

Shiro nodded.

All the kids gasped and gaped at him.

“Which lion are you?” Asked a smaller boy.

“I pilot the Black Lion.”

The kids gasped again and began shooting out questions all at once. Shiro could only catch bits and pieces.

“Alright, alright, one question at a time!” He settled the kids down.

A little girl raised her hand.

“Yes?”

She quickly pulled it down. “What’s your favorite color?”

Shiro thought about it. He hasn’t been asked that question since before he joined the Garrison. “I would say either cobalt or black.”

Another kid raised their hand. Shiro pointed to them and nodded.

“How big is Voltron?”

“About the size of a really big mountain.” He smiled.

The questions continued until each kid had a turn. After that, Shiro played their version of soccer until the smaller sun went down, signaling that it was time for the kids to return home.

“Will you come back to play with us?” The boy with wings asked.

“When I have the time.” Shiro ruffled the boy’s hair, earning a wide grin. 

 

During the video call Shiro found out that Keith hadn’t had time to work on getting used to his tail due to Galra attacks on nearby planets. He saw that Keith was stressed and not exactly balanced. He also noticed that Lance’s hair was mostly a wheat brown, and his dark blue Altean marks stood out. 

The team looked tired, but Lance appeared to be more than that. Before he ended the call he thanked Lance once again for the oil. He told him that he likes the smell of it better than the one Princess Elden gave him and that he used it daily. He kindly asked for some more when he got back.

Right as he ended the call he saw Lance brighten up a bit and he felt better at that. He knew he wasn’t the best at complimenting the Cuban but he did try when he remembered. 

 

Before bed, Shiro did his nightly routine. It consisted of work outs, shower (which was a blessing with how big the showerheads were, seriously, Shiro felt like he was under warm rain), combing the oil through his feathers, and watching the sky.

That was one thing he missed the most about Earth. Being able to look up at night and just stare at the stars surrounding him. As he sat on the windowsill, he felt nostalgic. He recalled nights where his mother would take him out on the roof on nights where he couldn’t sleep. His old childhood bedroom where his father painted the night sky on his ceiling with glow in the dark paints. 

He sighed.

His life was simpler back then. Back when he had two flesh arms. Back before Voltron

But now?

He was stuck with an arm that was made from his captors, people who forced him to kill others just to live another day. He was thankful that he lived and became a paladin, but at what cost? 

He didn’t know because he couldn’t remember.

He only got bits and pieces and it felt like he was floating in water-scratch that-  _ space _ . A place where he can’t hear his own screams, but he knows are there. It was vast and empty, as well as scattered. Add the wings on top of all those, and he just didn’t know what to do. 

Keith was currently in charge of Team Voltron, but he still wasn’t ready for it yet; Shiro knew that. He also knew that they were still fighting Galrans, and he shouldn’t be taking his time with this new development. If he could make his wings grow faster he would. 

However there was the problem of keeping his wings safe during combat. He knew nothing about fighting and flight, hell, he was still learning how to move the muscles required for flight! He needed the help, he’s well aware of that, but he hated how long it was taking.

Not to mention that some hybrids get magic when they get their wings. Meaning that Shiro may or may not have to learn a completely new skill set.

_ All of this is taking too much time. _ He thought.  _ The team needs me there. _

Suddenly, he heard his communicator beep, indicating a video call.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! Woot woot! And it's actually longer! *more 'woots' in the distance*  
> i wonder who's calling? Is the team in trouble? A booty call? Who knows! (I do!)  
> I'm sorry that updates are a bit slow, but I really do plan on making chapters longer. I'm just so freakin busy this summer, I have zero down time.  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! And please do leave a comment, it helps me update more often.   
> Also if you want to do fanart or have done fanart, let me know! I would love to link them to the chapter they were done for ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

Shiro leaped off the windowsill on to the tiled floor of his room and scooped the communicator off the bed, pressing the ‘accept’ button.

Lance’s face popped up. 

Shiro’s eyes widened, surprise written all over his face. “Hey, Lance, things okay? Do you guys need me?” He studied the background noting that Lance was in his room on the Castle.

Lance squirmed a bit on screen. “Yeah. Things are okay.”

This behavior was different from the boy’s regular cheery self that Shiro was used to seeing. “What’s wrong?”

Lance looked off to the side. “I don’t know.” He sighed. “I think I’m just being too dramatic, but this whole turning alien thing has me freaking out. And you’re the leader so I thought that maybe I could talk to you about it? But now I see that it’s kinda stupid, so I-”

“It’s not stupid.” Shiro cut him off. He laid down on the bed, his wings sprawled out underneath him. “Lance, I’m here for you guys. If something is bothering you, you can tell me.”

The boy brought his eyes back to the screen. 

“If it makes you feel better, it freaks me out too.” he reassured. 

His eyes widened as if he realized something. “Really?”

Shiro nodded.

“But you’re  _ you.  _ You fought the Galra before we did, you escaped and made it back, helped us find the Blue Lion, and are the Black Paladin. You’re Shiro the Hero.” 

Shiro chuckled. “Doesn’t mean I don’t have problems of my own.” He moved around so his head was on the pillow. “I get scared too.”

“But you’re brave.”

“Because I need to be. I’m the leader, I  _ have _ to be brave.” He watched as Lance laid down on his own bed.

“So what you’re saying is that you’re normal, like us?” His brows were furrowed, confusion clouded his eyes.

“Normal?” Shiro blinked. “Yeah. Just because I’m the leader doesn’t mean I’m not ordinary too.”

Lance seemed to ponder this. “So. This whole alien traits thing freaking me out, is okay?”

“If it wasn’t I’d be concern.”

Lance nodded his head, looking lost in thought.

“So what’s going on?” Shiro asked.

Lance’s face disappeared, displaying the ceiling before it showed Lance’s face again. “I don’t want to look Altean. I know that Coran and probably Allura, think it’s an honor to have these-” He touched his marks- “but I don’t like them. I don’t look like myself and I don’t feel like myself.” He looked off screen. “My hair was the same shade as my siblings, you know? And my eyes are like my mother’s.

“The longer we’re in space, the more I forget what my family looks like. I know that sounds bizarre, but it’s true. I used to look in the mirror to remind myself what they looked like, so I would never forget….” He trailed off. It took Shiro a few seconds to realize that Lance was holding back tears. “And now I am.” His soft voice was filled with heartbreak.

Shiro didn’t know how to comfort him through a screen. His chest hurt just watching the boy hold his tears at bay.

“It scares me, Shiro.” Lance continued in that whisper. “I look nothing like my family now, and-” He shut his eyes tight but Shiro could see tears cascading down the boy’s face. He saw Lance take a shuddering breath, trying to compose himself. “And I’m terrified.” He opened his eyes, tears pouring down like rain. “What if they don’t recognize me? What if the government or even the garrison want to do experiments on me if we get back? Shiro, what if my family disowns me?”

The leader just stared at him in shock.  _ ‘If we get back’,  _ rang in his head. “Lance….”

“What if we get there, and I don’t even remember what my family looks like? What if we never find each other because I don’t know what they look like, and I look different to them?” His eyes widened in horror. “What if they’re dead?”

Shiro sat right up. “I’m sure they’re not dead, Lance.” He racked his brains trying to find something to say to cheer the boy up, but all he could focus on was ‘ _ if we get back’ _ . “You’re still the same person. Is Keith any different for being Galra? Am I any different for having wings? Look,” he ran his fingers over his floof, “if they attempt to do experiments on you, they’ll have to go through us. We’ll fight them if they dare try.  _ I’ll  _ fight them if they dare try. I made a promise to myself that I’d protect each and every single one of you. That I’d bring you guys home.

“And if your family is truly your family, they’d recognize you, even with your marks and hair. Family is something you don’t forget.

“Lance,” Shiro slumped, “it’s okay to be afraid and feel weak. It’s alright to cry too, you don’t have to keep holding it all in.” He saw that Lance had a hand over his mouth. He watched the poor boy try to stifle his harsh sobs. “It’s okay to not be brave. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. We’re here for you. We’re all each other have right now.”

The screen moved to where Shiro was looking at the ceiling again, but this time he could hear Lance’s breathless crying. It was filled with screams and heartache. 

Shiro sat there, feeling helpless. Lance needed comfort, and he needed it quick. So while he felt his chest compress and eyes slowly gathered tears, he sent a message to Keith.

**_Lance needs help. He’s in his room and I can’t help him from here._ **

**_He needs a friend._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo, here's chapter three! I'll try to update weekly guys, but no promises.  
> Back at it with that langst. I hope you guys enjoyed, and as always, leave a comment down below! It's the best way to encourage more chapters and faster updates out of a writer.


	4. Chapter 4

Keith lazily rolled over, hand blindly smacking the bed trying to find his communicator.

He hoped it was actually important and not one of those stupid memes that Pidge and Lance like to send. 

He opened it, wincing as the bright light popped up.

It was from Shiro. Keith sat up so fast that he got dizzy.

**_Lance needs help. He’s in his room and I can’t help him from here._ **

**_He needs a friend._ **

“What?” he sent a message back.

**_Why me?_ **

He waited for his reply.

**_Because I don’t know what to do, and I trust you. You’re the leader at the moment. Help your teammates._ **

Keith sighed. 

**_Okay._ **

He got out of bed, tucking his knife in the holder on his belt. He didn’t understand why Shiro didn’t know what to do. Lance was a happy guy. Yeah, he had insecurities, but everyone did. 

His bare feet smacked the ground. It was roughly two in the morning, the only ones who still should be awake was either Pidge or Shiro, not Lance.

Once Keith got to Lance’s room and put his hand on the scanner, was when he understood why Shiro didn’t know what to do.

Because what Keith saw, wasn’t the Lance he was used to. 

Lance was curled up in a ball,  _ crying  _ his  _ heart out. _ His hands tugged at his hair, while his knees muffled the sound of pure anguish. 

Not even he knew what to do.

Keith rubbed his left arm and walked in. “Lance?”

The crying suddenly stopped, just straight up died. Lance sat up, eyes puffy, a smile on his face. “Keith?” He rubbed the tear tracks away, but Keith could still tell that he was holding back a dam.

The door shut behind him. “What’s wrong?”

Lance shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“But you were crying.”

“Was I?” He waggled his eyebrows, playing it off. It made Keith wonder how many times this has happened to Lance. To be able to stop crying, just like that? 

“Tell me what’s wrong.” 

There was a flicker of pain on Lance’s face. “Nothing.”

Keith sat down next to Lance, spotting the huge damp circle on the blanket. “Are you okay?”

Lance’s smile wavered, but it remained strong. As tears poured down his face he said in a broken voice, “I’m fine.”

Keith could see that Lance clearly was not fine. He wasn’t very good when it came to comforting people. It was easier to pick fights than it was to talk.

He brought his eyes up to Lance’s sorrowful ones. He could see that his teammate was doing his best to hold it together. “I know you’re not. So just tell me what’s wrong.”

Lance shook his head, his fake smiling quickly melting. “I’m okay.” He whispered.

“Lance, you’re not okay. Not right now at least.”

“Just leave me alone like the rest.” He wiped at his eyes, however it did nothing to stop the flow. “I’ll be okay in the morning. I promise. It won’t affect our mission, I swear.”

Keith slowly realized that words may not be what Lance was needing. He awkwardly shifted himself so was facing Lance on the bed and cautiously wrapped his arms around the taller boy. He could feel Lance stiffen.

“What are you doing?”

“Hugging?” Keith was freaking out on the inside, his mind blasting  **RED ALERT! RED ALERT!** Accompanied by sirens. 

Lance sniffled but relaxed. “You’re doing it wrong. Here.” Lance turned to face Keith, pulling himself closer. He moved Keith’s stiff arms to his shoulders and he wrapped his arms around the Keith’s waist. 

Keith could feel Lance’s sobs slow, not by much but it was a start. He relaxed his arms around the boy’s shoulders and tightened the hug, feeling Lance do the same. He ignored how damp his shirt was getting and instead carded his fingers through Lance’s hair. 

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Keith softly spoke, “but know that we  _ are _ here for you. You don’t have to hide from us, it’s okay.” He felt Lance grip his shirt. His mind wandered to how often this happened to Lance, and how no one has noticed. Hunk was his best friend, wouldn’t he have noticed?

But then he realized that Pidge and Hunk were getting closer, and since they were sciencey, Lance couldn’t exactly hang around them without feeling like a third wheel. 

It dawned on him that Lance might have always been this way. That perhaps his lame jokes, and flirtatious personality was one big facade.

Who knew how long Lance has been waiting for this hug?

Who knew how long Lance has been  _ needing _ this hug?

Keith rested his head on Lance’s shoulder, quietly holding the sobbing boy. He wasn’t going to let go until his teammate was okay. Even if it meant holding him like this all night, he wasn’t going to let go.

His friend needed him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some parts of this was based on my personal experiences, so I kinda cut this chapter short. I promise next chapter will be longer.  
> Update on my nephew. Chemo is going well. Right now he's at the hospital doing his treatments, and will be there for the next four days.  
> And as always, leave a comment. It is the best way to motivate a writer to update faster ^_^ It also keeps me going and brightens up my day, so that's nice too.  
> Edit- Should I get a tumblr?  
> Edit- I got a tumblr. It's under the same username as here but with a '-' between every word ^_^ You're welcome to come and interact with me!


	5. Chapter 5

When Keith woke, he found himself propped up against the wall, his arms around Lance in a loose hug. Lance was still asleep on Keith’s chest, one arm underneath him, the other on top by his face. 

Even in his sleep, the boy was still crying, silent tears running down his cheeks. Keith gently wiped them away, only to have them replaced by more. 

His back was starting to ache, his stub of a tail was bend at an awkward angle,  and his legs were dead asleep; but he didn’t want to disturb his friend. He let his eyes wander around Lance’s empty room. He would have thought that Lance would have some decorations of some sorts. Hell, maybe even the mess like Pidge’s room. But he saw nothing.

And it reminded him of his room. 

He looked down at Lance, soundly asleep regardless of the tears slowly trailing down. “Just how long have you been feeling like this?” He quietly asked, remembering the hollowness he felt back before he left. 

“Keith?”

Keith snapped his eyes back up. He could have swore he heard his name.

“Keith, you there?”

His eyes went to the voice and saw that Lance’s communicator was still on. He slowly moved his arm to grab the thing and brought it back to his face. He saw Shiro’s worried face.

“Is he okay?” Shiro softly asked.

Keith glanced down at the sleeping boy. “I don’t know. He mostly just cried and I couldn’t understand his blubbering.” He looked back at the screen. “He’s still crying too. I mean, he’s asleep, but there are still tears slipping past. How long have you been on?”

“The whole thing.” Shiro rubbed his eyes. “It’s almost morning over here.”

“You could have slept.”

He sighed, “I know. I just thought that Lance didn’t have any problems, so I didn’t have to worry as much with him. But now I see that I was wrong and I’m trying to think of how I can fix it. He has been isolating himself lately, and I never thought much of it until now.”

Keith nodded. “Back when I was leader he came to talk to me. Because we had one paladin too many he voiced that maybe he should step aside.” His brows furrowed. “I think. That maybe he’s been feeling lonely for a long time.”

“He’s extremely homesick.” Shiro looked down. “He called me to talk about the changes happening to him. He’s worried that his family won’t recognize him and he’s also terrified of forgetting of what they look like.”

“We really don’t know our teammates that well, do we?” Keith saw that Shiro’s eyes were glistening. “Shiro?”

“It’s my fault that you guys are out fighting a space war.”

“Shiro, it’s not your fault, we all came here on our own-”

“-but if I hadn’t dragged you all into this. If I just said to go back to Earth and not through the wormhole, you guys would be okay. Still have your families and enough serotonin in you. Not PTSD or depression or anxiety, or a combination of all three.” He covered his eyes with is flesh hand. “You guys are just kids.”

Keith hesitated. “But we’re not kids anymore.”

“No.” Keith saw Shiro’s shoulders sag. “You’re soldiers.”

He looked down at Lance. The tears had stopped, leaving behind dry salt tracks. “He’s not crying anymore.”

“Keep an eye on him. Suggest to Hunk to talk to him every now and then, I know they’re close.”

“I will.”

Shiro moved his hand, but Keith could see the pain in his eyes. “Keith.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you okay?”

Keith gave him a small smile. “You should know that answer by now.”

Shiro nodded. “Well, I have breakfast to attend with the King and Princess in half an hour. I need to go. Don’t be afraid to call me about things okay?”

Keith nodded.

“Alright. Be safe.”

“You too.” Keith said as he watched Shiro’s face blink out, ending the video call.

 

Keith’s tail was beginning to scream at him, so he had to move, even if it woke Lance up.

“Mmm.” Lance shifted, his arms coming up to rest on Keith’s chest. 

Keith shifted again, moving Lance like a rag doll. He managed to get out from underneath the boy without disturbing him. He quietly left the room, rubbing his eyes.

He was well aware that it was mid morning and he should have woken up Lance, but after what took place a few hours ago, he decided to let it slide.

Keith walked towards the kitchen, hoping to have a talk with Hunk. Lance needed his best friend’s support and comfort. And also, Hunk was a better at hugging than Keith was.

Luckily Keith found the Yellow Paladin cooking away, trying to make some pasta from noodles that looked like mini turnips.

“You got a minute?” Keith asked as he casually leaned on the counter. 

Hunk wiped his hands on his apron. “Yeah, what’s up?”

After Keith found out he was part Galra, Hunk became the person he would talk to about it. There was something about the guy that made it easy to talk about troubling thoughts.

“It’s about Lance.”

Hunk’s posture changed to concern.

Keith continued. “I found him crying in his room in the middle of the night. He was apparently talking to Shiro but Shiro didn’t know what to do when he started to break down. So he messaged me to help Lance out. I don’t know if I did anything helpful.” He looked down. “He misses his family and I think he feels like he doesn’t belong here. I’m not good at comforting or people in general, and you’re his best friend.” He looked back up at Hunk. “Could you talk to him? Get him to open up maybe? I think he’s been feeling excluded for a long time now.”

Hunk nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I can do that. It’s been a good while since we hung out. I kinda miss it to be honest.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Any time, Galra Keith.”

Keith shook his head but the smile on his face said he didn’t mind it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm late with this update. We're currently packing our shit and moving! So... updates will be slower until that's done and we have internet again.   
> Also, I have a tumblr! my username is beck-the-king-of-hell, so feel welcome to say hi! Also, I don't know what I'm doing on there, so help.


	6. Chapter 6

Hunk baked a batch of blue cinnamon cookies in the shape of stars, and brought them over to Lance’s room. He knocked, “Lance? You in there?”

“I’m not decent, hang on!” He heard Lance call.

A minute later the door opened and Lance was in his everyday clothes. “What’s up?” He greeted with a smile.

Hunk showed him the cookies. “I made these and I wanted you to be the first to try. I thought that maybe we could hang out for a bit because it’s been a while, you know?”

Lance’s eyes flashed to worry for a second before he smiled again. “Yeah, what were you thinking?”

Hunk walked in, setting the cookies on Lance’s desk. “I was just thinking we could hang out here and talk about pointless things like we used to.”

“Why?”

Hunk looked over and saw genuine confusion on his best friend’s face. “Because you’re my best friend.” Hunk softly said.

Lance raised an eyebrow, “Really?” He asked, his voice full of uncertainties. 

Hunk just stared at him. “Of course. Lance, you’re my family, my brother.”

Lance just looked down and rubbed his arm.  “I just thought that maybe you were sick of me, that’s all.”

Hunk nodded, beginning to understand what Keith said. “I’ve just been busy with things and I wanted to check in on you. You seem off.” He sat down on the bed and patted the space next to him. “So do you wanna talk about it?”

The boy sighed and sat down next to Hunk. “I just- it’s that-” He paused, gritting his teeth. “I feel like a waste of oxygen. All these changes are messing with me, and I’m starting to forget what my family looked like. That’s the basis of it.”

Hunk slowly nodded. “What can I do to make things better? Maybe Pidge and I can find a way to charge the phones so you can have pictures of your family again? I can keep inviting you whenever Pidge and I mess with junk, if that’ll help.”

Lance laid down, his eyes focused on the ceiling. “I’ve been wanting to tell you for some time that whenever I hang out with you and Pidge I feel like a third wheel. I don’t understand any of the terms you guys are using and I don’t do anything to help.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t do anything of help around here. You and Pidge work on the ships and coding. Shiro’s the leader, Keith’s with the Blades. Allura plans missions and gathers intel. Coran is the reason why the castle is still running.” He opened his eyes again, tears heavy, threatening to fall. “But me? I’m just there. I don’t have a thing.

“And don’t tell me that I do, because I don’t. I don’t help you guys with programing, I don’t help Shiro or Allura, I fight with Keith more than actual talking, and sometimes I just make things difficult for Coran. 

“I’m not smart, not like you guys. My fighting skills are mediocre at best. I suck at games, I can’t cook with alien food, can’t lead, can’t beat level five on combat mode, can’t be serious…. I don’t even know why I’m on this team. I just weigh you guys down with my homesickness.” Tears steadily slid down his face, pooling by his ears.

Hunk was at a loss for words. He knew that Lance missed his family but he rarely brought it up. But what made him really speechless was the fact that he didn’t know that this was what Lance was feeling. He always tried to include him in things, but it never crossed his mind that it was doing wrong than good.

So he did the one thing that he knew would help. Force his best friend up and hug the living daylights out of him. 

And he felt Lance slowly break down, spilling everything, from his place on the team to his family and his looks. Hunk listened to it all, not saying a word. He didn’t offer any advice, but he made his love and presence known. He wiped Lance’s tears away and looked him in the eyes when he was talking.

Hunk took mental notes on what he could improve. He almost made a silent vow to keep this between just the two of them, unless Lance wanted the others to know.

And he sat there, listening for hours as Lance explained everything that’s been going on with him for the past year. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late updating, I know.   
> My nephew is having a hard time with his treatments and it hurts to see him silently cry as needles are poked into him. My son is also sick which got my husband sick, and I've been dealing with an UTI for a whole fucking month and I'm in so much pain that it's hard to do anything. I haven't slept in over 48 hours and I cried over a butter knife.   
> I also just found out that what I'm dealing with may not even be a UTI, and it might be something worse. Yay me.  
> Anyway, this was all I could manage, and I apologize for how short this is. I still hope you guys enjoy it and the next chapter will be centered around Shiro, so you guys get to see how he deals with shit.  
> And as always, leave a comment down below! It helps motivate me to push out longer and faster updates, and they also make my whole week.


	7. Chapter 7

To say that Shiro was exhausted was an understatement. His eye bags had bags, and his focus was about as good as a toddlers. 

Breakfast consisted of purple bread, a black fruit that was a strange mix of raspberries and apples, and an omelet with who knows what in it. Oh, and a drink that tastes exactly like cantaloupes.

He didn’t engage in much conversation, partly due to royal customs, partly because it felt like he could pass out at any moment.

“Are you alright, Black Paladin?” The king asked.

Shiro looked up, unsure if he should answer. After a slight nod from the princess, Shiro answered, “Yes, I am alright.”

King Hakan set his spork down and folded his hand together. “What is troubling you, surely we’ve been treating you well?” Concern lined his face. 

Shiro gave a small smile. “You’re majesty, you have treated me like royalty and I am grateful for such hospitality. I just didn’t sleep well.”

The King picked his spork back up. “I can get you a better bed.” He suggested.

Shiro’s eyes widen. “That wouldn’t be needed, your majesty. Thank you for the offer, though. No, it’s my fellow teammates. One of them is not doing so well.” Shiro furrowed his eyebrows. “I was unaware of it, but now I’m worried that I may have done something wrong as a leader to not have noticed it. I spent the whole night awake listening to, ah-” He racked his brain for better phrasing-”his problems.” he bowed his head. “Thank you for your concern, it is most appreciated.”

The King nodded. “Would you like to take the day off to relax? My daughter informed me that you’ve progressed well, and she’ll be busy with meetings today.”

Shiro perked up. He was about to speak, but held back, remembering the customs. So he settled for a nod.

“Very, well.” King Hakan declared. “You shall have the day off to do whatever you please. If you require transport, I will assign a servant to be your guide.”

Shiro bowed his head, grateful for the day off. He could spend some time learning the local language, or catching up on his studies of wings. He began to get excited, thinking of all the things he could do in day.

_ I can finally try the win blossom punch that’s by the courtyard! Or even train in their training facility, maybe even try flying! _

But his excitement fell away.  _ I should actually have a talk with Lance to see how he’s doing. As well as the others. If Lance of all people was hiding pain, who knows what the others are hiding? _

He finished up his breakfast and bowed to both the King and Princess, excusing himself from the table.

 

Walking up stairs shouldn’t have been hard, but for a man that was running on two hours of sleep the past three days, it was quite the struggle.

He chose to take a break and rest by a window way, letting his feet dangle. The castle may have stairs, but they were steep and long. It would be easier if he could just fly the rest of the way to his room, but his wings were still too small for such travels. 

Shiro watched the people below, seeing flashes of colored wings, and kids playing something that looked like a mix of soccer and kick ball.

He blinked, and next thing he knew the clouds have changed position, the kids were no longer playing, and the hussle and bussle of people were gone.

Shiro checked the time. “Four hours?!” He exclaimed and jumped up, heading up the stairs to his room. “I hope their free enough for a video call.”

 

“Hey, Shiro, how’s flying going?” Hunk’s face appeared, taking up most of the frame.

Shiro smiled. “Well, I have yet to actually try it, so not good. What are you doing?”

Hunk changed the view to where it was showing the oven. “I’m making garlic knots for Lance. Well, what I  _ hope _ taste like garlic knots.”

“I bet he’ll like them. So, how are you doing?”

Hunk positioned the tablet so he could use both hands, and talk to Shiro at the same time. “I’m doing pretty good. Wish we had more of that weird, carrot, tasting fruit. It makes an excellent side dish when mixed with that butter, lobster thingy.”

Shiro thought for a moment. “You mean that bright blue crustacean that stuck to Pidge’s butt?”

Hunk laughed. “Yes, that one! I think the name translates to ‘sticky claw’.” He chopped up a light purple onion and added it a frying pan he had going.”

“What else are you cooking?”

“I don’t know, I hope it’s good though.”

Shiro cleared his throat, not knowing how to phrase his sentence. “So. I was wondering, how you’re doing with being out in space… and fighting a war.” He covered his face. He really wasn’t that great at this.

Hunk stopped what he was doing. He looked at Shiro. “To put it short, I miss my family, and I would rather be home. But the universe needs us, so until that’s done, I have to wait.”

Shiro considered it and nodded his head. “What about the alien things popping up? You okay with that?”

Hunk went back to cooking. “Oh yeah. I’m learning more and more, and Coran and Keith are actually helping me out with it. I may not be that skilled yet, but I can heal simple things like cuts and bruises. It helps out a  _ lot _ when we’re out in the field.”

“That’s great to hear.”

Hunk nodded. “Okay, the knots are almost done, and I think Lance will be getting out of the shower soon. He was training before I started them.”

“Okay.” Shiro said. “See you.” He saw Hunk wave, a smile on his face before blinking out.

He blew out his mouth. “One down. Four more to go.”

He called Pidge, since Lance may still be busy.

Pidge didn’t answer, and Shiro moved on to Allura. 

Her face popped up accompanied by the mice. “Hello, Shiro. How are things going?”

Shiro showed her his wings. “It’s going well. Still don’t know how to fly yet, and I haven’t lost my baby feathers, but I should be soon. How are you?”

She smiled wide. “I’m doing good. I cleared level twelve in combat this morning.”

Shiro’s eyes widen. “That’s great! You’ve been trying to past that for a while, good for you.”

She smiled wider as the mice praised her as well. “So when will you be coming back?”

Shiro’s happiness faded. “I don’t know Princess. I may have made a lot progress, but my wings are still small. And there even is a chance that I may have to learn a whole knew skill set, if I’m gifted a special ability. I may be months before I can return.”

Her smile fell. “Oh. Well, Keith is good leader, but he and Lance have been bickering recently. I don’t know what to do to get them to stop.”

Shiro laid back, using his robotic arm to keep the tablet up. “Typically there’s a reason for their bickering. It’s hard to find, and most times it’s often over tiny things, but there is a reason for it. It’s easier to just let them train it out together. They get out their frustration and eventually make up.”

Allura nodded. “Okay. We’ll try that.”

“Is there anything that has been bothering you, Princess? Are you alright with all the paladins going through these changes?” Shiro’s brow creased with worry.

She shook her head. “They were strange at first, and difficult to manage, but they don’t bother me anymore. Pidge and Hunk are fine, Keith and Lance are….” She glanced up. “Adjusting. Keith still has a balance issue, and Lance keeps asking me for advice about his hair. But things are going well.”

“Alright. I’m going to see if I can talk to Pidge now, if that’s okay.”

“Of course. Talk to you later, Shiro.” She blinked out.

Shiro scrolled to Pidge’s name. Before he called, he wondered if the team knew about Lance and his condition. If they did, what kind of a team leader did that make him?

Pidge’s messy room showed. He heard a curse word and it switched to her face. “Hey, Shiro, what’s up?

“Not me.” He chuckled as he got an eye roll from Pidge. “Just checking in, how are you doing?”

“I’m okay, I’m working on a way to integrate my plant power with technology. Matt thinks it’s cool, and he wants me to make him a chair out of roots.”

Shiro sat up, his wings aching. “So you’re okay with it?”

“Oh yeah, it’s great! I can make plants bloom in the middle of battle and trap sentries.”

“Okay.” He said, “Well, I’m going to check in on Keith, let me know if there’s anything bothering you.”

“Will do.” She waved her hand good-bye and the screen went black.

He knew that Pidge would tell him if anything was wrong. They’ve become close over the past few months, talking about her father and brother.

Shiro already knew how Keith was holding up, but he wanted to see how he handled comforting Lance. 

Keith’s face showed, bags under his eyes. “Things okay?” He asked.

“Yes, how about you? Did you not get to nap?”

Keith yawned. “No, not yet. We had team training this afternoon, and after that, Coran was showing me how to balance.”

He moved to the window ways, perching himself on the sil. “How are you after comforting Lance?”

The boy covered his face. “It was awkward, and I’m not even sure if I did an okay job. I think he’s better today though. I told Hunk to talk to him, and I can smell garlic knots down the hallway, so I’m guessing it went well.”

He softly smiled. “That’s good. Well, I’m going to check in on Lance. See how he’s doing.”

“Got it. Good luck.” And Keith’s tired face blinked out.

Shiro looked out, the smaller sun setting. He wasn’t ready to talk to Lance. He felt like a failure, not noticing that his fellow teammate was hurting.

He sighed. “I’m just a kid too.” He whispered to himself, remembering how young he actually was. “Kids shouldn’t be fighting wars.” He leaned his head back against the window way, watching the setting sun. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of dialogue, and mistakes.   
> I'll be honest when I say that I'm not exactly enjoying the fandom right now. I'm almost tempted to hold the rest of this off until the last season airs to avoid getting pulled into any ship wars.  
> Any way, enjoy! Leave a comment, it helps me push out faster updates and better chapters.  
> Also, Shiro will be talking to Lance in the next one, so just wait.


	8. Chapter 8

Lance’s communicator beeped, signaling a video call. He poked it and Shiro’s face popped up. He looks tired and worn.

“Hey, Shiro. You okay?”

His eyes widen. “Actually I was wondering if  _ you _ were okay.”

“Oh.” Lance looked down. “Yeah. I’m doing better. Suddenly Hunk is wanting to spend more time with me, and Keith and I don’t fight as much anymore.” He looked at Shiro, anxiety clawing his heart. “Did you… say something to them?”

He didn’t miss the split second where fear flashed in Shiro’s eyes. 

Shiro sighed. “Yes.” He hung his head. “I did.”

Lance shut his eyes closed, balled his hand into a fist, “You know, I can take care of myself perfectly fine, I don’t need-”

“-I was worried.”

Lance opened his eyes.

“I know I’m not that close to you, Lance. I don’t know what you need to feel better, I don’t know your life story. And that’s all on me. As a leader I should have gotten to know you all equally. But I didn’t. 

“But I do know that you and Hunk are best friends, brothers, even. I know you two know a lot about each other. I know Keith gets along with Hunk better than anyone else on the team right now. I know Pidge and Hunk work together all the time, and we all treat her like a sister. Allura has Coran, and vice versa. Keith is my little brother. We’d do anything for each other.” Shiro shifted, his small wings flashing in the background. “And.... I don’t know if you have that with anyone on the team. So I was worried. I didn’t know- scratch that- I  _ don’t _ know what to do. I’m sorry.”

Lance felt water drip down his chin. He hadn’t even realized that he was crying until he had to stifle his soft cries. 

“Lance?” Shiro asked softly.

“I’m okay!” Lance gave a shaky laugh. “I’m okay, I promise. It’s just. I’ve never seen you so unsure of yourself before.” He wiped his eyes. “It’s odd. It’s like you’re a human and not some awesome space dad that kicks ass.”

Shiro frowned. “But I am an awesome- er- space...dad… that kicks ass.”

Lance shook his head, a small smile on his face. “I  _ meant _ , you’re a normal person, just like us. I always thought that you knew what to say, and when to say it. You knew what was best, and as long as you were calling the shots, everything will be fine.”

Shiro tilted his head slightly, “Not really. I just rely on my training and instinct. And I’m suppose to know these things. I can’t afford to be ‘normal’, because you all look up to me.”

Lance laid down on his bed. “Shiro, when was the last time someone asked you if  _ you _ were okay? Because honestly, I think you could use a break.”

It took the man a moment to reply. “A few weeks ago.”

“And who asked?”

“Keith.”

“Did you ask if he was okay, first?”

“.... I see where you’re going with this.”

“Shiro.” He locked eyes with his leader. “I’m okay. I’ve talked to Hunk and we plan on doing a ‘mental health day’ each week. We’re planning on getting the others on board so it becomes a regular thing. We’ll be using the mind headset thingies, so we have nothing to hide anymore.”

Shiro smiled, an actual smile.

“You don’t need to worry. Focus on flying and we’ll be okay. We’ll video you in whenever we do it, so you’re not left out.”

He nodded. “Sounds good. I’m glad you’re doing better. Don’t be afraid to come and talk to me though. I promise I’ll be here for you now, all of you.”

A warm feeling filled Lance. “I know. It’s pretty late so, good night.”

“Good night, Lance.”

Lance pressed the ‘end call’ button and rolled to his side. He felt bad for his sudden flash of anger of Shiro talking to the others about his problems. He couldn’t blame him for it, considering that if he hadn’t Lance wouldn’t have brought it up.

But there was one thing still on Lance’s mind that was causing problems. And he knew that Shiro will understand.

After all, Shiro was the only person on the team that was openly gay.

Perhaps he’ll be able to help Lance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys, shit's been raining down from the sky for me this past month.   
> My nephew is losing his hair, and I cry every time I see him. It just makes it more real, and I'm scared for him and my brother.  
> I'll try to update once a month. Shitty, I know, but I just don't have the time or energy to continue.   
> Also, I would like to clarify that there will be NO ships in this fic. I'd like to stay out of the ship war going on, but once the last season drops, you bet your ass I'll be writing about every ship I've ever ship. Hell, I'll even take on your guys ships and post it once the last season is out.   
> Have a good day!


	9. Chapter 9

Shiro was getting used to his wings and the weight of them. His back didn’t ache as much, and he didn’t have to think to stretch them out.

However, when he woke up he found tufts of feathers surrounding his bed. When he looked back on his wings he noticed that there tufts of fluff in spots all over, poking out in various angles.

He tentatively touched a patch and slowly pulled it away, a small mass of soft feathers in his hand. He removed more on the area and saw that there were sleek, black feathers underneath.

He was finally growing his adult feathers, and he couldn’t have been more elastic.

Wherever he went, he left trails of fluff. He stopped trying to clean it up when the motion just caused more to come down. 

At the end of the week his baby feathers were gone, replaced with iridescent black feathers. In the sunlight they flashed purple, blue, green, yellow, and red. He felt like a walking Pride flag. A badass walking Pride flag. 

His wingspan was passed his arms when outstretched, and he could begin flying exercises.

 

Elden instructed Shiro, showing him the different ways to flap his wings. Once it became second nature, like the stretches, he could try jumping off a small ledge to try actual flight.

“You’re doing better.” She smiled at him. “Soon you’ll be able to fly like us.”

Shiro bowed his head in thanks, still not knowing if he could speak. 

“Show me a flutter.”

He half opened his wings and flapped them gently.

“Good. Now a starting flap.”

Shiro stretched his wings up and quickly flapped them down, the sudden burst of wind sweeping him off his feet.

“Ouch.” He muttered, rubbing his rump as he stood back up. His wings weren’t big enough to take his full weight, but they were big enough to knock off his balance.

He followed through the exercises Princess Elden was helping him through, his mind wondering to Lance.

He found himself thinking about him often, concerned about the boy. Lance just seemed so happy, cracking jokes, shamelessly flirting, overall cheering everyone up.

Shiro should have noticed that it was a defense mechanism. Being that cheery during a war wasn’t exactly a good thing. Yet, Shiro just brushed it off as a Lance thing.

He felt like he failed his team, Lance most of all. Even with the mental health nights with the team, he could still tell something was wrong with Lance.

“Black Paladin.”

Shiro turned around to find King Hakan facing him. Shiro quickly knelt, head bowed.

“You may rise.” The King order. “Someone is here to see you.”

Shiro slowly rose, eyebrows knitted together. He followed the King out of the courtyard and into the throne room.

His eyes widen and he ran passed the King. “Lance!” He tackled the boy in a hug, his limbs shaking from the grip around the boy’s waist.

“I’m sorry.” Shiro apologized. “I should have known something wrong, I should have talked to you more, I should have treated you better, I should-”

“Shiro,” Lance’s voice sounded strained. “I can’t breathe.”

“Wha- oh.” He released his death grip on Lance. “Sorry.”

Lance gave a breathy laugh and hugged his ribs. “It’s fine. I’m fine. And Shiro.” Lance rested his hands on Shiro’s shoulders. “You don’t have to apologize. Seriously, I’m okay now, I’ve talked to the team about it, the mental health nights are helping us all.”

The King cleared his throat. The two males stood at attention, heads bowed.

“Shall we prepare a feast in honor of having both the Black and Blue-Red Paladins?”

They glanced at each other.

“You may speak.”

Lance took a step forward. “I would love to have a feast, that sounds fun!” He took a step back and bowed his head. "Er, thank you, your royalness."

“Then it is decided. The feast will start at second moon!” The King turned around, leaving the two alone.

Shiro turned to Lance, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be with the team?”

Lance waved his hand. “The Yellow and Green lions are down for a bit, so I figured I’d come and see you so I don’t annoy Pidge and Hunk.” He looked down. “Is that okay?”

Shiro blinked, “Yeah, it’s okay. What happened to the lions?”

“What normally happens when we face a big fleet.”

“Got it.” He felt awkward being alone with Lance. It wasn’t that Lance made him uncomfortable, is was that he didn’t really know what to say. The two were never left alone together for very long so Shiro had no idea what to do.

“You’re wings looks huge.” Lance broke the silence. 

Shiro turned around and stretched them out, hearing an audible gasp come from the younger boy. 

“Sweet, man, can you fly yet?”

“Uh,” Shiro closed them, “not yet.”

“They’re pretty at least. I like how they change colors depending on the angle.”

“Yeah, it’s great. The book doesn’t have anything on the color, so we don’t know if I have special abilities.”

“That’s cool.” Lance looked around. “Wanna show me the place?”

“Yeah, right this way.” Shiro led him out of the throne room and into the courtyard. He showed Lance the different plants and flowers. He took him to see the area where the kids play, showed him the steep stairs, the best bakery in the town, the flight range, the dye shop (to dye feathers to keep with the trends), the candy shop, and finally, his room.

“Wow, this place is huge!” Lance flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

“You should see the bathroom.” Shiro chuckled.

Lance jumped up and took a look at the bathroom. “Damn, this is bigger than Allura’s bathroom! And she’s a princess!”

Shiro’s smile faded a bit. “So, Lance.”

“Hmm?”

“What’s the real reason you came to see me?”

Lance’s face fell. “Oh. Well.” His eyes were looking at everything but Shiro. “I just. Wanted… to talk… about something. That’s personal.”

Shiro sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him. “Sit and tell me. I won’t judge.”

Lance sat a few spaces away from Shiro. “It’s um. Well, it’s-it’s, about uh.” He fiddled with his hands. “I think- I’m not sure really- but um.” He shrunk down.

Shiro turned to face the boy. “I’m not going to judge you, Lance. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it right now.”

He glanced at Shiro and sheepishly asked, “How did you know you like boys?”

Shiro’s eyes widened and his blinked in surprise. “Well, once I started going through puberty, I found myself blushing and staring at guys more than the girls. Once I got into the garrison, I had a pretty heavy crush a boy. I never felt any attraction to girls, or even romantic feelings, so that’s when I found out I was gay.”

Lance kept his eyes low. “What did you family and friends think of you when you told them?”

Shiro was beginning to realize where this was going. He leaned back, “Well, I lost some friends, but my family was mostly supportive. They didn’t exactly understand at first but after explaining to them they got the jist. I got teased for it, but I didn’t care. It didn’t define me or my ability to pilot. It wasn’t who I was, it’s just a part of me.” He glanced at Lance. “It’s normal, and not something you choose. It’s okay.”

“I-I’ve been thinking… for a few years now. And I think- I think I like boys too.”

Shiro scooted closer. “And that’s not a bad thing.”

“I know.” Lance’s eyes were rimmed with tears. “It just scares me.”

Shiro pulled Lance into to hug. “It used to scare me too. You don’t have to come out, you know. You don’t have to explain yourself to those who refuse to understand. If you want to keep it a secret between the two of us, that’s just fine. I promise I won’t tell anyone.” He felt his shirt getting damp, so he tightened his hug around Lance. “It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with you, Lance, nothing.”

He sniffled. “I’ve had crushes on boys in the past.” He wiped his eyes. “But I always pushed those feelings aside because- because I thought it was wrong.” He sniffled again. “And I didn’t even know I was pushing those feelings away.” He buried his face in Shiro’s shoulder, attempting to calm down. 

“It’s okay,” Shiro rubbed his back. “There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s fine, it’s okay.” Shiro already knew that the team didn’t care about sexuality or sexual orientation. Coran and Allura were unfamiliar of the earth terms for it, but they understood and were accepting. 

Lance pulled away, wiping his eyes. Shiro ruffled his wheat hair and gave a reassuring smile. “You’ll be okay.” He said to the boy. 

Lance returned the smile, the tear tracks gone from his face. “You ready for a feast?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's this month's chapter! I wanted to include Shiro's sexuality because it makes me so happy to know that a kid's show not only has diverse characters, but also LGBT+ ones too!  
> And there are a lot of theories and headcanons that Lance is Bi, so I jumped on board with that too :D 
> 
> Update on my nephew  
> His white blood cell counts are dropping. Once they get back to up to what it should be, they drastically drop back down the next day. He's been in the hospital for over a week now. His hair is coming out in clumps and my brother and sis in law don't know what to do. They're low on money, have a one year old girl to feed, and the hospital is two hours away from their home.   
> If you want to help, my tumblr (beck-the-king-of-hell) has links to donate to my brother's family. Please help them out.


	10. Chapter 10

“Alright guys, I gotta hit the hay.” Shiro waved at the rest of the team through the screen. “I have flying practice first thing in the morning.”

“-See ya-”

“-Sleep well-”

“-Don’t break any bones-”

“-Night-”

He ended the group call. A big sigh left his lips as he set his tablet down on the nightstand by his bed. It’s been a few weeks and his wings are mostly fully grown. He can jump off of a box (or anything that’s around five feet) and glide down no problem. He’s mastered the starting flap, along with all of the stretches required for flight. 

Shiro laid back, his wings lazily lying on top of him like a blanket. The team was doing well without him, but he couldn’t wait to be back on the team. Granted the training provided the much needed rest his body and mind urgently demanded, however he couldn’t stand being stuck on a dwarf planet.

He wished he could learn the mechanics of wings faster. He wouldn’t have been gone for so long if he could just grasp it a little bit sooner.

And then there was the pressing issue of how to safely get him in space. The suit can withstand the cold vacuum of space, but he can’t fit his wings in a suit anymore. It would cripple them and cause extreme amounts of pain. Shiro may have been familiar with it,  _ but _ if he could avoid it, he will. 

Shiro rolled to his side, using his wings for warmth. Now that they were big enough to drag on the ground, he found them useful for blankets and cushions. As well as hiding his face whenever he did something embarrassing in training. 

The mental health nights were going well, and it looked like the team was doing better because of it. They no longer looked tired or sad.

They no longer looked  _ desperate _ . 

Desperate for a way out of situations, desperate for a way to save people, to go home, to feel safe, for  _ freedom _ . 

They all knew what Keith tried to do. Matt told them. They knew what happened to Lance. Allura cried about it during mental health nights. 

Shiro closed his eyes. All he wants to do is protect the children born to fight wars that aren’t theirs. 

To shield them from harm.

He’ll just have to settle for his best.

 

Shiro gazed down at the empty canyon before him. Princess Elden arranged a hike for them, to teach Shiro how to avoid feathers dragging while walking. His wings may have been bigger than normal Rowan’s, but that didn’t stop him from victoriously hiking up a steep mounting.

And now he was faced with death if he failed to flap his wings correctly.

“Princess Elden, if I-”

“You may speak when you have permission. You may be a Paladin, but that does not mean you can disrespect me.”

He bit his tongue and nodded. He wanted to ask why he was practicing flight over a death sentence than say, the castle wall. 

She pointed at the bottom of the canyon. “There are surface vents down below where we are standing. If you so happen to fall, just stretch out your wings, and the wind from the vents will gently slow you down so you do not hurt yourself. Understood?”

Shiro bowed his head

“Great.” She smiled. “How about we rest for a while and having some breakfast before we start?”

The mention of food made Shiro’s stomach growl. They skipped breakfast just to hike up before noon hit. He was starving.

They settled down into a silent meal of sweet bright orange bread, smoked rinhear (tasted like elk jerky to Shiro), and a small cup of light purple berries, that tasted a lot like mandarins.

Once they were done, Elden explained to Shiro what he should do and to do it with confidence.

“You’ll do fine.” She smiled.

Shiro was about to reply back, but the Princess pushed him off the edge of the cliff, a startled yip coming from him.

His immediate reaction was to turn on to his belly and open his wings.

“Good job!” He heard the Princess shout. “Now flap your wings!”

_ Flap my wings? Bitch, you just pushed me off without warning, let me gather my thoughts first! _

Shiro remind gliding for few moments, getting a feel for the air and winds. He flapped his wings once and rose into the air a bit before gliding back down to where he was at.

He heard Elden shouting something at him.

“What?” He shouted back.

She lifted her arms and waved them continually, mimicking wings.

“Oh.” He did a starting flap, this time shooting into the air higher than last time. He did regular flaps up, slowly getting higher and higher. Sweat beaded his forehead, his chest rising and falling rapidly. 

“Take a break!” Elden yelled. “I’ll meet you at the bottom!”

Shiro gladly stop flapping, his wings aching from the effort. He gently glided down to the bottom of the canyon, experimenting with spirals, and drops. When his feet touched the ground, he fell forward on to his hands and knees, his wings like lead. 

“Flying does take a while to get used to.” Princess Elden comforted him. “After a few months however, flying will be like walking. We just need to build up the muscles first.”

Shiro sat down, fanning his wings out. He looked at her and she nodded her head. “You guys make it look so easy.” He huffed. “I thought I was in shape, but flying is a whole different set of anatomy.”

She sat down with him. “You are making quick progress however. You’ve advanced faster than the average Rowan, which is unusual for a hybrid such as you.”

“Thanks.” Shiro gave her a thumbs up. “I try.”

“Well, you are very good at it. Are you ready to fly up or do you need a few more minutes? It’s alright if you do.”

“Nah.” He stood up rolling his shoulders. “Can you show me how to climb higher without exhausting myself?”

She pointed to the cliff wall which had ledges carved out. “Each is separated by 12 feet, which is the distance of a starting flap to beginners. If you get tired, just glide to one of the ledges and rest. Or you can work your way up by starting flap, rest, starting flap, rest, etc.”

Shiro looked up to the rest of the cliff side. If he wanted to make it up before night fall, he’d have to move quickly.

 

That night, Shiro went straight to bed. Skipped dinner and shower, and flopped on down, lights out.

He was woken up in the morning from a video call. He lazily poked the answer.

“SHIRO!” Pidge’s worried face was all he could see, sobering him up quickly.

“What’s wrong, what happened?” He sat up right all attention focused on the call.

“There’s been a br-ahh!” The video blinked out.

Shiro flung himself off the bed, hastily putting on his armor. There was no time to waste.

His team needed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see!  
> A few more chapters and we'll be seeing the end of this fic! *sniff sniff* Crazy that I started this earlier this year. So much has happened.   
> My nephew still hasn't left the hospital since he was last admitted. It's been... rough. If you'd like to donate to help, you can check out my tumblr- beck-the-king-of-hell  
> Another way you guys could help him out is to donate plasma and bone marrow. It could help a bunch of little kids get well enough to leave the hospital for the holiday season, even if it's just for one day.   
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and sorry that it takes a while to post something so short. My husband and I found out something rather depressing and quite frankly I'm in a depressive slump.  
> Hope ya'll in America have a happy Thanksgiving, weather it's with friends or family, or a cute stray cat in the alley way by your home!


	11. Chapter 11

Keith breathed heavily, trying to ignore warm wet spot that was steadily growing on his side. 

“We should be safe here.” He heard Lance say. “Let’s take a look at it.”

Keith looked up at him, uncertainty in his eyes. He slowly removed his blood soaked hands from the stab wound. He heard Lance suck in a breath.

“Does it hurt?” He asked as he stripped off his armor. 

Keith licked his lips. “Ah, kinda. I mean, it hurts, but now it’s slowly going away.”

Lance took Keith’s discarded Marmora blade. “Are you feeling cold or sleepy?” He pulled his arm out of the sleeve and began cutting it off.

Keith blinked. He wasn’t sure if it was the lighting in the cave or just blood lost, but he thought he saw a tear rolling down Lance’s face. “The area just feels numb now.”

Lance wiped his nose and moved Keith into a sitting position. He carefully wrapped the makeshift bandages around his midsection being mindful of the rebar sticking out, to hopefully stop the bleeding. 

“You’re warm.” Keith’s body relaxed against Lance’s chest. Warm limbs wrapped around his torso as he surrendered into the hug. 

“You’re going to be okay.” Lance petted Keith’s hair. “You’re gonna be fine.” His voice cracked.

Tears leaked from Keith’s eyes. He didn’t have the heart to tell Lance that he couldn’t feel or move his left side. He didn’t want to voice the fact that he wouldn’t be fine. 

 

“Can’t they stop shooting at us for one moment!” Hunk shouted as he hid behind rubble. 

“Does anyone know what happened to Lance and Keith?” Pidge asked as she tried to contact Shiro again.

Hunk aimed his blaster at the sentries to keep them back. “Last I saw them they were with Allura in the building that blew up.”

They heard clinking and looked behind them. There were more sentries coming at them. Hunk began blasting towards them too.

“Hunk, we need to leave! We’ll be surrounded if we don’t move!”

He growled. “You think I don’t know that? In case you didn’t notice, we’re already surrounded!”

Pidge looked around to realize that he was right, They still had side exits to try and take, but sentries had their guns pointed at them from the rooftops. 

Hunk stopped shooting. “Pidge, use your plant magic! Create a path for us by using the plants to take out the ones surrounding us!”

“What? I barely know how to grow adult plants, and you want me use it on a mass plot of land?!”

“Yes!”

Pidge rested her hands on the ground. Sweat beaded her brow as she concentrated. 

“Any time now would be great!” Hunk yelled as he shot down more robots. 

“Shut up, I’m focusing!”

Suddenly thin roots shot out of the ground, wrapping around sentries. It didn’t stop them, but it slowed them down. 

“Let’s go!” Hunk pulled her up and they began running, the roots thickening as they ran past. 

 

Allura kept quiet as she watched Galra walk above the sewer opening. It wasn’t the ideal place to hide, but it was effective. The sewer system in the small city connected to every street. Given time she would be able to locate her teammates. 

If they were still alive. 

She felt like a fool to not notice that it was all a trap. The Corguins contacting them, asking to make an alliance on their lonely planet. Shuttling them to the planet, leaving their Lions in the castle. Treating them well with a feast the first day. 

She had ignored the strange hum that came from the building they were walking towards. When it suddenly stopped Keith shouted at them to get down before the explosion rocked the ground, splitting the dirt beneath her. 

Allura was lucky. The only damage she took was when she fell into the sewer water.

She glanced at her broken communicator. There was no way to contact Coran to get help. They expected the alliance to take three days to come into agreements. Her fist hit the wall. She should have listened to Hunk and Keith when they stated something was off. 

She continued forward. Hunk and Pidge were headed towards engineering station the Corguins claimed to have. If she could get there and find them, then maybe they could find Keith and Lance. 

_ If they weren’t already buried under rubble _ .

She pushed the thought out of her mind. She had an idea where Hunk and Pidge were. It was time to get the team together.

 

Lance kept his bayard ready in case any sentries or Corguins found them. Keith was too heavy to move long distances, and he would leave a trail of blood. Their space suit wasn’t exactly the most absorbent fabric in the universe.

“Keith, you still with me?” His whispered.

“Mmm.”

Lance looked down at him. His face was pale, and his skin cool to the touch. Their laps were stained with sticky blood, making him rather uncomfortable. 

“Keith.”

His eyes slowly opened. “M here.” He slurred. 

Lance let out the air he was holding. “Thanks for saving me back there.” 

“Couldn’t get Allura.” Keith frowned. “Too far.”

“I’m sure she’s fine.” He reassured even though he didn’t see what happened to her. All he remembered was Keith shouting ‘Get down!’ and tackling him to the ground. Next thing he knew he was staring up Keith who had a face of disbelief. He felt droplets fall onto his arm and saw a piece of rebar sticking out of Keith’s left side.

Lance tried to help Keith out by wiggling out from underneath him and pulling on the rebar, but it was stuck there. When he saw sentries in the distance heading towards him, he pulled out his gun and shot the top off, pulling Keith up, and hauling ass towards safety. 

Which brought them to the cave they were hiding in currently. Lance didn’t want to pull the rest of the bar out, it was plugging the wound, keeping Keith from bleeding out faster. 

But they didn’t get help soon, or Keith to a healing pod, they’d lose him forever.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here, have some early trash. I plan on finishing this fic up by the end of the year, so expect frequent updates.  
> Ya'll remember when I was dealing with a UTI that may not have been one? Well. Here comes the reason why I'm in a depressive slump.  
> My uterus has too much scar tissue. Not going to go into details, but scar tissue can affect how you're able to have kids. We learned a while ago that I may have troubles staying pregnant.   
> Update on my nephew. He was able to leave the hospital for one day! And then things got worse and he's back in, but hey, it's progress! He's also fully bald now.   
> I feel like 2018 is not my year. Anyone else?


	12. Chapter 12

“Black Paladin, where are you going?” King Haken asked.

Shiro ran towards the shuttle parking, “My team needs me, now!”

“Wait!” Shiro heard wings flapping. “At least let us outfit you in Rowan armor!”

Shiro slowed a stop, turning to face the King. “Can it survive in space?”

The King shook his head. “Not really. But it will provide coverage to your chest.” He pointed towards Shiro’s absence of a chest plate. 

Shiro looked down at torso and considered the options. His eyes darted to the King. “How fast can you get me the armor?”

“Right now.”

 

The King and Princess helped Shiro put on the chest plate. It was three separate pieces with latches to connect them together. It allowed his wings to be free with the set back that the space between the wings was unprotected. 

“It’s better than nothing.” The Princess said after Shiro voiced his concerns. 

“I guess you’re right.” He said shakily. When it was on and done, he set off again towards his pod.

Once he got in space he contacted the Castle.

“Hello Shiro. Is everything alright?” Coran asked.

“Aren’t you guys under attack right now?” 

“No? The Paladins are down working on an alliance with the Corguins.”

“Can you see if they’re alright? Pidge tried to contact me but it was cut short. It sounded like they were in the middle of a fight.”

He watched as Coran messed with the podium. “Alright, here we are.” He displayed the planet and zoomed in until they saw sentries and fires around the town. “Oh no.” 

Shiro’s hands gripped the controls. “Is there enough energy to wormhole me there?”

“Ah.” Coran hastily checked screens and pressed buttons. “There’s enough to get you here, but it will be a short opening.”

“Alright.” Shiro rolled his shoulders. “Whenever you’re ready.”

A small wormhole opened and Shiro flew into it, appearing by the Castle. He entered the hanger, hopped out of the pod, and ran towards the Black Lion.

It let it’s shield down, but didn’t lower it’s head for him to enter. He felt slight irritation coming the lion and he apologized for being gone for so long, but he was there now and the team needed him. 

It was enough to be accepted.

 

Allura climbed out of the sewer when the coast was clear. She used the rubble to hide herself from drones and passing sentries.

She scanned the area looking for signs of Hunk or Pidge.

She spotted a yellow helmet laying dormant by the steps to the engineering building. So they  _ had _ been here. 

After making sure it was clear she ran towards her next hiding spot by the stairs. Allura noted the blast holes that peppered the building and floor, along with a blood trail. It didn’t look bad, just a few droplets leading away from the building and towards the intersection. 

Allura sneaked her way closer to the intersection and saw that it was covered in small roots. The only section that had a trail was to the left of her which had sentries patrolling. 

She decided to go back to the sewers and navigate her way from there. 

 

“You okay, Pidge?” Hunk glanced at his small friend who was bandaging her leg.

“Yeah. It’s just a small cut, nothing to worry about.” She relaxed against the wall to a small hovel they found.

They managed to out run the Galra and found a place to rest. The second sun was setting, casting a red glow in the house.

Pidge stood up. “We should find some parts to get our communicators working again.”

“What if- what if the others didn’t make it?” Hunk’s eyes were downcast. “You saw that explosion. They could easily be under the rubble now.”

She looked around the room. “They’re alive. I can feel it, just how I felt that Matt and my father were alive.” She gave a reassuring smile to Hunk. “Don’t worry, they can take care of themselves.”

Hunk only nodded.

They looked around the room and found nothing. They did, however find a sewer opening under a rug.

Hunk glanced at Pidge. “It’s a better hiding place than here.”

“Well,” she pushed it opened, “after you.”

 

Lance heard Galra soldiers walk past their hiding place. He pressed himself and Keith against the crate, avoiding their line of sight.

“We can’t stay here.” He looked at Keith. “Can you walk?”

Keith slowly shook his head.

“Can you try?” He pleaded.

Keith swallowed. “I can’t…. I can’t feel my left side.”

Lance’s heart skipped a beat. “Can you move it?”

He shook his head again.

Lance took another look at the rebar poking out. It looked like it was sticking out vertically and not at an angle. He moved his hand around to feel for the entry wound. 

It aligned with the middle of Keith’s spine. 

“Shit.” Lance balled his fists. 

“What was that?”

They held their breath.

“It sounded like it came from the cave.”

“Go check it out.”

Lance and Keith locked eyes, an understanding passed between them. 

Lance gently laid Keith down, and got into position, bayard out. 

It was time to fight for their lives.

 

“Keith? Pidge? Hunk, Lance, Allura, can anyone hear me?” Shiro messed with the coms hoping to make contact with the others, but was met with static.

He gripped the controls. He should have never left the team for this long.

He kept the lion at a safe distance, scanning the area for any signs of the Paladins.

Black nudged his conscience, pulling up a small hill on the screen. He flew towards it, and saw Lance, who was covered in blood.

“Oh no.” 

Lance was gunning down sentries that surrounded him, not paying attention to the Galra behind him, blade out.

“ _ No _ !”

Shiro watched in horror as Lance was stabbed and kicked down, bayard skitting out of range. 

Shiro told Black to take care of the sentries as he jumped out, wings spread for flight. He tackled the soldier down, knocking them out as the Black Lion crushed some of them, opening its mouth to let them in. 

“Lance!” Shiro grabbed the boy in his arms. Lance had taken multiple shots judging by his broken armor. His face was bruised and bloodied, his hair a dark crimson in places.

“Shiro?” Lance looked up at him confused.

“Oh my god, you’re ali-” He was cut short by the remaining sentries shooting at them. They blocked his only exit, the Lion closed its mouth and lifted its head. He summoned his shield but there was still a mass amount of them. He heard Lance say something but ignored it, looking for a possible way out of the situation. Every blast damaged his shield more, soon they wouldn’t have any cover. 

“Shiro.” Lance tugged at his leaders armor.

Shiro didn’t take his eyes off the sentries blasting at them. “What is it?”

“Keith. He’s behind us.” He coughed. “Badly injured… can’t… move….”

“Lance. Lance?”Shiro glanced down and saw Lance’s eyes half laden. Fear grasped his heart. How was he supposed to get two injured boys to safety when he was surrounded?

He could fly Lance up to the Lion, but that would leave Keith alone and outnumbered. 

He clenched his hands. There was no choice, he had to leave one behind.

“Hold on.” He told Lance as he got his wings ready for a starting flap. They shot into the air quite a distance before Shiro glided them down to Black’s open maw. He wasted no time in laying Lance down and diving out again, this time to get Keith.

The Galran he knocked out was getting up again. With an angry shout, Shiro dived down at them, maneuvering at the last second to kick them down. This time he felt a sickening ‘ _ crunch _ ’ and they didn’t get up again.

He used his shield to make his way towards the small cave and found Keith. He was paler than normal, eyes closed, surrounded in a puddle of his own blood. His fluffy tail was wrapped around his waist, matted and soaked in red.

He unequipped his shield to lift up Keith. He would have no protection from the blasters if he stepped out.

He gritted his teeth. He’ll just have to use his wings.

Shiro folded them around him and Keith protectively, and walked out prepared for pain.

But all he got was a dull push. 

His wings formed a feathered shield around him defending him from the blasts and gunshots. He didn’t have time to think about what was going on, only to fling himself into the air and into the Lion, where they’ll be safe. 

He commanded Black to leave the area and scan for the others so he can attend to Keith and Lance.

Lance was thankfully still awake, just in shock. He told Shiro to focus on Keith, that he’d be fine for a few more moments.

Shiro obliged, checking Keith’s wounds. The major one was his abdomen, where a piece of metal was sticking out. He saw that Lance had tried to bandaged it with his space suit, a smart move. He replaced the fabric with real bandages, praying that Keith will make it. Judging by the amount of blood that stained his armor, Keith didn’t have long. 

He had to find the others soon, or they’d lose Keith and Lance for good. 

 

“Allura!” Hunk shouted as he pulled her into in a bone crushing hug. They were wandering the sewer system to check where Lance, Keith, and Allura were last seen; when they bumped into Allura.

“Hunk, Pidge, it’s so good to see you two!” She smiled. “Is Keith and Lance with you?” She looked around.

Hunk and Pidge shared a glance.

“Truth is,” Pidge sighed, “we were hoping that they were with you.”

Allura shook her head. “I fell down here. The last I saw was Keith tackling Lance from the explosion.”

Hunk pressed forward. “Then let’s head there to see if we can gather some clues as to where they went.”

Allura lead them the way she came. Once they got to the opening and saw that it was safe to climb up, they headed towards the last known whereabouts of the others.

They heard clanking and hid behind a broken wall, waiting for the coast to be clear again.

“Okay, Allura, where did you last see them?” Pidge scanned the area for anymore soldiers. “We have to make this quick.”

Allura pointed at the other side of the street. “There.”

They quickly made their way, spotting a puddle of blood next to a huge chunk of rock.

Hunk shivered. “Is there a trail anywhere? Maybe on the other side of the debris?”

“We can lo-” Pidge was cut short but a sudden blast of air. They all looked up and saw the Black Lion land, it’s maw open for them to climb in. “Keith!” She shouted as they ran towards the Lion and the cockpit. 

“Sorry, not Keith.” Shiro gave them an apologetic smile before turning to Hunk. “You can heal right?”

“Uh, kinda but-”

“-Keith needs help, fast.” He turn on auto pilot. “He’s lost too much blood and is not responding to anything. He may not even make it to a cryopod.” He lead them to the back of the Lion, where Keith and Lance were resting.

 

Hunk examined Keith’s body. Without using his healing magic, he could already tell that Keith was hanging by a thread.

He inspected the wound, seeing a piece of rebar sticking out. He couldn’t heal anything until it was out.

“Shiro, Pidge, hold down Keith. Allura, I need your help to pull this out so I can heal him.”

“He can’t move.”

Hunk turned to Lance. “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that.”

Lance’s eyes were full of pain. “He’s paralyzed. It went through his spine.”

Hunk’s breath caught in his throat. He placed his hands on Keith and closed his eyes, concentrating. He could see the rebar bend at an angle inside of Keith. Pulling it out could damage his organs more.

But if they didn’t pull it out Keith would bleed to death.

Hunk cleared his thoughts. “Allura. I need you pull it out slowly okay? I’ll tell you when to stop.”

Allura stepped up, uncertainty in her eyes. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he’ll be okay.”

Hunk closed his eyes again, seeing Keith’s anatomy. He saw the rebar slowly move up. Once it pulled out enough, he worked on healing the entry. He only did enough to stop the bleeding.

The rebar was about to tear through Keith’s stomach. “Allura stop. I need you to pull it a bit to the left now. Good, keep going.”

Hunk worked on a quick sealing of important tissues. “Okay, I need you to pull it all the way left.”

Allura gasped when she pulled out the bend.

“I know, just keep pulling, we’re almost there!”

He reconnected the membranes that kept the organs in place, slowly repairing any damage the organs had. When Allura finally pulled the rebar out, Hunk speedily healed up the exit wound, sealing the blood inside. He then fixed the skin layers on both entry, and exit wounds, leaving no visible trace of it every happening.

He felt a hand on his shoulder but ignored it, too focused on keeping Keith alive.

“Hunk,” He heard Shiro say, “We’re back at the Castle, we need to get him to a pod now. Is it safe to move him?”

He opened his eyes and carefully picked up Keith, while Shiro picked up Lance. 

 

According to Coran, the two will be fine, just low a blood. Hunk gladly donated his O- negative blood to the two. Lance was out of the pod in half a day and Keith was out after one and half.

When Keith came out however, he complained that his fluffy reddish-brown, tail was a blood stained popsicle. 

Lance gave him a shove with his shoulder, “Glad to see both sides of your body functioning, Mullet.”

Keith whip Lance with his tail, getting a satisfying yelp from the boy.

“Alright, none of that.” Coran grabbed Keith’s arm and sat him down by a table. “You’re still low on blood, so hold still.”

 

After a day everyone was back to normal. Shiro marveled at Lance’s hair and marks, telling him that it looked good. Shiro still wasn’t used to Keith’s tail yet, and stayed clear of it whenever Keith and Lance were bickering. He found it adorable that it twitched with irritation and swayed the way cats do when they’re relaxing. 

These changes may have came out of nowhere, but just like water, they adapted to it. They will continue to do so; after all, fighting with these new additions will be a struggle.

But for now, they’ll manage. They are a team after all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some more early garbage. I do plan on doing a part three, but most likely after season 8 airs. I don't know, I'm not sure if people actually like this enough for a part three.  
> Been working on this series since March, I'm proud of far I was able to carry this idea of mine.  
> Not the best of chapters, really rushed and horribly written, but I just wanted to get it out of way so it was no longer on the back of my mind.   
> Hope you guys liked the end. Let me know if ya'll want a part three.


End file.
